Schizophrenia: An Error in Homeostasis

There has been a great deal of research on schizophrenia. Some of it dates back to the time it was called "dementia praecox". One approach, used by Hoffer & Osmond, was to study drug-induced intoxications. Many of these intoxications, including amphetamine intoxication and mescaline intoxication, mimic schizophrenia. Hoffer & Osmond postulated that an internal mescaline-like substance caused schizophrenia. This was a brilliant theory, but there were skeptics. In my opinion the skeptics were wrong.

Drug Side Effects

One of the most compelling arguements for the dopamine hypothesis is the fact that the drug levodopa (L-dopa) produces schizophrenia-like symptoms. It also can produce symptoms similar to the Tourette syndrome (including tics). Since levodopa is the direct precursor of dopamine, this suggests that a toxic metabolite of dopamine may cause schizophrenia. This may also be true of the Tourette syndrome, but that could involve a different metabolite. A wide variety of drugs can produce schizophrenia-like symptoms, unfortunately. PCP, ketamine, amphetamines, hallucinogens, disulfiram, etc. are examples.

Metabolic Abnormalities

Metabolic errors can also cause schizophrenia-like symptoms. These include porphyria, carbon monoxide poisoning, heavy metal poisoning, homocystinuria, Wilson's disease, etc.

Nutritional Deficiencies

Linus Pauling was correct when he pointed out that nutritional deficiencies can cause psychiatric symptoms. This has also been pointed out by Dr. Abram Hoffer of Canada. But what does this mean? Vitamin B12 deficiency and pellagra both have psychiatric symptoms. Both vitamin B12 and niacin are involved in energy metabolism. This would appear to suggest that schizophrenia is caused by a deficiency of brain energy metabolism. Pauling thought that the deficiency was localized to the brain.

The two main theories can be combined if one assumes that the toxic amine causes the deficiency in brain energy metabolism, which is probably true. More research along these lines is needed.

A Possible Cure for Mental Disease

Since there is a biological cause for schizophrenia, the cure will also be biological. But, unfortunately, this is easier said than done. First one should understand the physiological basis for schizophrenia. Then one should correct the chemical errors. This is the approach of the late Linus Pauling. Unfortunately, Pauling never completely understood the chemical errors.

Buscaino

In 1921 Buscaino used silver nitrate in a test of the urine of schizophrenics. It seems that the urine of a schizophrenic causes a black precipitate, whereas the urine of normals causes a white precipitate. This was later called the "black reaction". In 1922 V. M. Buscaino published his results. Buscaino had previously studied brain pathology in what is now called "schizophrenia". Buscaino reported the presence of substances of the amine type.

Autopsies

Autopsies by various scientists revealed neuronal damage both in the cortex and in the basal ganglia and brainstem. The glia were abnormal. There was metachromatic formations of myelin, areas of hypo and demyelinization, etc. In 1921 V. M. Buscaino reported "clods of disintegration in clusters". These were limited ovoidal or bullet-shaped swellings with a granular or amorphous content. In 1964 Pecchiai reported confirmation of this work. The material was glyco-lipidic. This suggests deposits of carbohydrate and fat. But what could cause this? If excessive amino acids flooded the cells, some of these amino acids would be converted to fat.

Dysmetabolism

The cure may involve correcting the dysmetabolism. Carbohydrate deposits could occur if the cells burned amino acids instead of carbohydrates. Thus the cure, or treatment, could be a diet low in fat and low in amino acids.

The Boston Diet

The Boston diet is a diet that I have invented is good for general good health. It is also almost a panacea because it can be used to treat various diseases, including lactose intolerance. No dairy products are allowed. This eliminates lactose and also reduces cholesterol. The following are examples of banned foods, many of which can also make you fat: Ice cream, butter, cake, cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, etc.

Ice cream is bad for diabetics because of the sugar content.

Liquor is not allowed on the Boston diet for several reasons. This will not increase the populaity of the diet, which is low, but it will optimize the health of those on the diet. Alcohol is toxic to the brain. Even though this is a vegan diet, and liquors are vegan, the sugar is bad for diabetics and the tyramines in wine are bad for the brain. The story of tyramines, which is complex, is told on my website, which is http://www.craigolson.bizhosting.com/. I had to put the bizhosting in there to get the website for free. This site is over 100 pages long. Not only that, but some of the pages are big!

Mental Hell Care

Clubhouse censorship consistently rejects any ideas that do not fit into the official dogma of the DMH, which is something like "Take two clozapines, follow the Fountain House model, and call me in the morning." If 10 people die of agranulocytosis caused by clozapine and another 10 people get tardive dyskinesia, this is simply covered up a la Cardinal Law. The problem with dogma is that often it can bark up the wrong tree.

Neuropathology and Schizophrenia

The Vogts did neuropathology research for half a century. They studied many different diseases as well as normal brains (including Lenin's brain, if you consider Lenin to have been normal). Their research started in 1903.

Cecile & Oskar Vogt (1951)

These brilliant workers reported "schwundzellen" (abnormal cells) in schizophrenia. The cytoplasm became progressively vacuolated. The Vogts were German.

Romasenko et al (1969)

These brilliant Russian workers administered schizophrenics' blood serum to animals. They found pathology in the endoplasmic reticulum and the mitochondria. This suggests both an error in amino acid metabolism and and error in glucose metabolism. The error in amino acids could cause the problem in glucose metabolism. The Russians have proven that there is an unknown toxic factor in the blood of schizophrenics.

Conclusions

V. M. Buscaino of Italy published important papers in 1924, 1953, and 1958. He published more papers than this, but his views remained largely the same from paper to paper. He believed that schizophrenia was an "aminic toxicosis", meaning that a toxic amine caused degeneration in the brain.

Buscaino did neuropathology studies as well as biochemistry studies. He found small degenerative foci scattered through the white matter and in the basal ganglia. He proposed hepatic dysfunction. The liver is unable to get rid of the toxins. More papers were published by Buscaino in 1946 and 1963. The aminotoxic theory was later adopted by his son, G. A. Buscaino. There are certain amine substances that are known to be toxic, including bulbocapnine, mescaline, LSD, etc. In 1933 Buscaino referred to the "catatonic" state induced in experimental animals by bulbocapnine. This work was done by De Jong and Baruk in 1930. It was confirmed by De Giacomo in 1951.

The Father, Vito, is now deceased, unfortunately. The son favors the transmethylation theory. According to this theory an abnormal amine is produced by transmethylation. One variation of the theory is that the toxic amine is DMPEA. This variation was supported by Friedhoff & van Winkle in 1962.

More research needs to be done.

Bibliography

1. www.associatedcontent.com/article/718067/an_endogenous_psychotogen_in_schizophrenia.html

2. www.associatedcontent.com/article/709479/moneydriven_medicine_vs_orthomolecular.html

3. www.associatedcontent.com/article/705601/the_alleviation_of_schizophrenia.html

4. www.associatedcontent.com/article/703807/why_orthomolecular_psychiatry.html

5. www.associatedcontent.com/article/696389/theories_of_orthomolecular_psychiatry.html